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Sunday, September 27, 2015

The Sunday Scoop is based on the popular 3-2-1 graphic organizers so many of us use with our students. Tell us three things you HAVE to do, two things you HOPE to do, and one thing you're HAPPY to do. If this is your first time linking up, check out all the details on our Sunday Scoop page, then link up below!

Sunday, September 20, 2015

The Sunday Scoop is based on the popular 3-2-1 graphic organizers so many of us use with our students. Tell us three things you HAVE to do, two things you HOPE to do, and one thing you're HAPPY to do. If this is your first time linking up, check out all the details on our Sunday Scoop page, then link up below!

Here's the Scoop on my week...

What do you have planned for today or this week? Add your link below!!

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Raise your hand if you have a love-hate relationship with glue sticks. I know I do. Let me break down my relationship for you...

What I Love About Glue Sticks:
-Not as Messy as Drippy-Drop Glue
-Students Don't Use Too Much
-Easy Storage
-No Curly Edges on Pages
-Sticky Fingers... Not So Much
-Less Likely to be Eaten... serious.

What I Hate About Glue Sticks:
-Spendy
-Don't Last as Long
-Dry Out Quickly
-Difficult to Glue Little Pieces
-Not Always Sticky (brand-to-brand)
-Need Something to Glue Against

Now that I have hashed out the nitty-gritty for you... I hope that you are not having a full blown panic attack thinking about those glue sticks you have in your classroom. Keep on reading for the solution that you won't regret trying in your classroom!

Maybe you have seen these glue sponges lurking around in the bloggy or Pinterest world. Trust me, I was skeptical at first too. I thought it would make a mess, my students fingers would get all gluey and they would be a complete waste of time.

I WAS WRONG.

First, I picked up my materials. Sponges and Plastic Sandwich Containers. I already had a bunch of drippy-drop glue in my classroom so I was set.

Each glue sponge requires a container, a regular sized sponge and one normal size container of glue. I have tables in my classroom so I have three students who share a glue sponge. I made 7 for my classroom and one for my office too!

Place your sponge in the container and pour the glue out of the bottle. It takes a few minutes to let all of the glue drip out of the bottle. Then cover and let it sit for 24 hours before using.

Repeat the steps for as many glue sponges as you need. Let all of them sit for 24 hours before trying to use them with your students.

To use, students simply swipe the paper on the sponge and BOOM- stickiness.

Ready to try out glue sponges in your classroom? Here are a few more tips:
1. Make sure you teach your students how to close the containers all the way. If they are left open- they could dry out before you find out.
2. If the top of the sponges start to get dry you can spritz with a bit of water to renew it.
3. Purchase containers that are sturdy. Don't go with the cheapest option. You will want to use these again and again. The lids of cheap containers tend to break and then you are out of luck.
4. Take the time to set up expectations and your rules when you introduce them to your students- you won't regret talking through the little details before you unleash the power.
5. Have a few bottles of drippy-drop glue on hand, I like to add a bit of glue every now and then to make sure they are going to be nice and sticky when my students go to use them.

Sunday, September 13, 2015

The Sunday Scoop is based on the popular 3-2-1 graphic organizers so many of us use with our students. Tell us three things you HAVE to do, two things you HOPE to do, and one thing you're HAPPY to do. If this is your first time linking up, check out all the details on our Sunday Scoop page, then link up below!

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Technology Thursday is a weekly linky dedicated to all things technology related. Check out our Tech Thursday page for details on how to link up!

I happen to love ClassDojo! I adore my classroom’s Dojo Mojo, so to speak. I use the website for attendance, picking students for tasks, motivation, management, timing activities, and parent communication. But the uses of ClassDojo are not my focus in this blog. See the links below if you have questions about what ClassDojo is and what the site can do for you.

I have been a ClassDojo mentor for a couple of years now and have seen many teachers jump on the Dojo bandwagon. Most of the time, the teachers implement Dojo seamlessly into classroom routines. But every once in a while, I see a teacher (or read about a teacher) not using Dojo as effectively as it should be used. Let me explain. ClassDojo is a classroom management tool. So for our purposes, let’s compare it to another tool- the hammer. I could use the hammer handle to attach a nail to a board and it would work…eventually- it is just not as effective as using the head of the hammer. You get the job done but, boy, did you struggle along the way.

Set Expectations

For Students: Students need to know what behaviors you are targeting. Go through your list of Positive behaviors and Needs Work behaviors in a class meeting. Ask the students what they think each behavior would look like. Get their input on which behaviors need to be added and which should be worth more than 1 point. This helps give them a “buy in” for the program. It’s their class. It’s their Dojo. But yes, this needs to be a guided process- teachers have a say too.

For Parents: Parents need to know how you are going to use this tool. They need to know how the communication is going to work, and, more importantly, what it means when their students lose a point. I always inform parents (and students) that everyone loses a point here and there; no one is perfect 100 percent of the time. You need to let parents know that if a real behavior issue arises; you will get in contact with them (besides just seeing points disappear).

Be Positive

When I became a teacher, our professors taught us to change the things we said from the negative, “Stop running!” to the positive, “Walk please!” They also taught us newbie teachers that praising a child that is doing the right thing can be more effective than disciplining the student that is doing the wrong thing. I take this approach with ClassDojo. I have almost double the amount of Positive behaviors as I do Needs Work behaviors. I also give out quadruple the number of positive points than I do taking points away. It is so much more rewarding for your classroom atmosphere to be positive rather than negative.

Here’s what happens if you only take points away or are overall negative- the students stop caring about Dojo. They can’t win or get ahead, so why try? Who can blame them? I don’t like things I am unsuccessful at either.

I know what you are thinking…what about (insert name here)? They never are on task! Yes, they are. You just have to look a lot harder to find the Positive behaviors.

Try this: Joe is off task again and is playing in his desk. I give 3 other students points for doing their work. Joe then starts doing his work. I give Joe a point for “joining his friends”.

Or this: Catch Joe early in the morning. Joe hung his backpack up. Point. Joe put his folder in the correct place. Point. Joe put his name on his paper. Point. Great answer to that question, Joe. Point.

Now Joe sees that he can get points; he can succeed. He likes Dojo points. So if I eventually have to take a point away, it is more effective.

Now Joe’s parents like ClassDojo. For the first time in little Joe’s life, they are getting some positive feedback about their child!

Give Points Often

Don’t be stingy! Give out points! Reward those good behaviors! Always be on the lookout for a behavior to give a point to. I always tell my students that I LOVE giving out points. I also tell them, “I’m in a Dojo givin’ mood today!” I sometimes even relate to the students what behavior I am on the lookout for.

Try to give points to everyone. Spread the wealth! Look at your reports. Are there students you are overlooking? Is there a particular student that is running away with all the points? Is there a student that you are only taking points away from? Has it been a long time since you rewarded a particular student?

Tip: I never let the kids ask for a point. Dojo begging is not allowed. They can, however, suggest a friend gets a point, but they have to explain to me why.

Let the Students Take Charge

I take the time to actually teach the students how to run ClassDojo. I show the kids how to use the attendance, random picker, the timer, giving (or taking) points, and resetting points. Believe me, this will make your life so much easier. The kiddos love, love, love to give themselves points. They actually love to do anything on the website.

Tip: I leave the website open all day on the computer. You can minimize the window if needed.

Start Each Day Fresh

If some students have dug themselves into a hole of negative Dojo points that never seem to go away, they will stop caring. Dojo becomes irrelevant for these children. They feel that they can’t crawl out of the hole, so why try? We want to avoid this. Reset the negative points at the end of the day. Tell the students that each day is new and you get a fresh start. Don’t leave them hangin’ out in Negative Land. Let them start with a clean slate each day!

Set a Limit to Points

I set a limit to the amount of points students can receive and let them go to the treasure box when they reach that goal. I, then, reset their points to 0, and they start the cycle all over again. Why? Well, if Sally has 230 points and I only have 56, I will never catch up.

I asked my students about this one. I asked them how they would feel if someone had a lot more points than them. Here are some things they said:

I would be disappointed because I wouldn’t have points.

If everybody else has more points, they might make fun of me.

I’m trying to get there, but he’s always ahead of me.

I would be sad because I am working hard and not getting points.

They also said they would be happy for their friend with lots of points. AWWWWHHHH!

I usually start out with an easy goal of 10 points. I am trying to get everyone to LOVEClassDojo. I want them to love going to the treasure box. I need my students to WANT points. I do this for about a week, which is just enough time for everyone to experience the success of going to the treasure box. Then I raise the goal to 15 points, and then, ultimately, to 20 points for my 3rd graders.

A good thing happens with this system of resetting points. My Joe (from above) will have more points than the best behaved kids in the class on some days because those well-behaved kiddos just reset their points back to 0. They have 0 and he has 8. Rock on, Joe! On any given day, the gap for student points can be 0-20- which is an entirely attainable goal. There is not a signaling out of kids this way, and all students appear to be just as successful as the others.

Tip: You can still see how many points each student has for the week, month, or year in your reports.

Tip: I use certificates for treasure: chew gum in class, sit in the teacher’s chair, bring a furry friend,

wear a hat…etc.

Tip: Use only your students' first names, initials, or class numbers to keep anonymity.

There you have it…my tips for being a successful Dojoer. You are now ready to get started Dojoing! Let us know if you have any questions!

If you need more information about ClassDojo, check out our other Dojo blog posts.

Link up below with your own Website or App recommendations, Tech Tips, Tutorials, or anything else tech-related! We can't wait to learn from you!

Sunday, September 6, 2015

The Sunday Scoop is based on the popular 3-2-1 graphic organizers so many of us use with our students. Tell us three things you HAVE to do, two things you HOPE to do, and one thing you're HAPPY to do. If this is your first time linking up, check out all the details on our Sunday Scoop page, then link up below!

Here's the Scoop on my week...

How awesome is it that I do NOT have to write lesson plans this weekend?!! In fact, I left school Friday with only my purse and my planner in my hands. It was wonderful! Thanks to a productive PD day on Friday, my teammate and I have our math plans done through Fall Break, and I finished the rest of the plans for next week. Feels GREAT!!

What are you up to this Labor Day weekend? Link up your Sunday Scoop posts below!

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

All of the Teaching Trio is officially back to school now, so this month, Juliet and I teamed up to share some of our favorite spots in our classrooms...

My USA carpet might be old & dirty, but it's where some of the best times happen in my class. It's where we share in morning meetings. It's where we read at the end of each day (Currently: Wonder). It's where my class chooses to work almost every chance they get.

Juliet's rocking chair is her favorite spot because it's where she reads with her class. (I'm sensing a theme here!)

My small group table is another favorite spot. This is where some of the best learning happens - one on one with my students. It's where I hear the most "ohhh"s and see the most aha moments. (And my class LOVES the whiteboard circles!)

What are your favorites this month? Grab the template and button and link up below! If this is your first time linking up, check out our Favorite Things page for more details!